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Considering the North End is now equal parts Italian, Brazilian and drunk college kids it's mostly now gone the way of NY's Little Italy. If you want to go there don't go somewhere without a good recommendation or you'll be paying for some doctored up Ragu. Personally, I prefer Erbaluce and Sorellina and don't feel like being in the North End is a prereq for good Italian in Boston.

LIES

Bacco shall have no false italian restaurants before it.

Though each Italian place in the North End has to have its followers otherwise I don't know how all of them stay in business. Except for the ones that are run or are the designated hang out of the mafia. I imagine those places are strapped for cash.

I echo the suggestion to hit the Museum of Fine Arts! I managed to spend at least four hours there a few months ago and only covered the Asian/Egyptian wings. Must Go Back, and soon. Any locals want to come with me? (seriously, I'm looking for people to hang out with.)

I'd go to the MFA or whatever. I'm only here through October, but that's a month. I'm serious too. I don't know too many people here, since I've only been here a few months.

Sweet!! A few others have mentioned an interest in hitting the MFA, so it seems to me that it should so happen, and soon! Perhaps one of the upcoming Wednesdays... The only time I'm not free is the weekend of Oct. 10th, from Fri to Mon. Other than that, I'm at your disposal.

Have ready this through, and there is a great amount of awesome information here. I do have a question.

My group and I are in southern Maine, and we know that driving and parking in Boston is a total pain in the ass. So we have decided to take the Nor'easter down. And we are looking a the Hilton Back Bay (member of the group is an employee of Hilton), what would be the best (most efficient, time and cost, wise to get us from North Station to Back Bay?

Hop on the green or orange line, you can get both at North Station. Just remember that where the train come in is not where the subway is, it's next door.

In the last 5 years it's been more rain than snow in the spring and it's been chilly but not down coat cold. I have a light, fleece lined Eddie Bauer coat I use for Fall and Spring here and a long rain coat because when it rains, it rains sideways. 40's at the end of March would be weird, it's usually a bit warmer. Don't worry about bringing hats/gloves/ snow boats, but you'll probably want an umbrella/rain boats.

Though I have to say with the weather the way it is, it never hurts to have a thicker winter jacket with you just in case. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Especially if it does decide to snow. I remember this year there was a huge storm in March in my area...totally unexpected.

I do apologize if this was already posted.
As a veteran of all the other conventions in the Boston area, there are a few things here that visitors should be aware of:

1. The weather. Pax is in March. To relate, let's just say it's not, I say again, not unusual to see snow in April. You may want to take this into account when picking outfits to wear.
2. Unlike another major convention in the area, where PAX runs in March, the Red Sox should not be playing at Fenway. They play a major part in getting to the convention or around the city when they are in town as the trains are filled and wait is hours to get onto one.
3. Unlike the rest of the known world, the streets here are not in a grid patern. Walking is bad and driving can be impossible unless you know exactly what lane you are supposed to be in. Study your maps and please, for those on the convention committee, if you would be so kind as post directions on the site, it would help a lot, I'm sure.
4. The MBTA maps are about to get a makeover. Remember, the colored lines are subways (except silver with is a bus line) and the grey lines are major bus routs. It really isn't that difficult to get around if you take the time and study the map. One thing you do have to remember, though: the way the subway tells you which way it's going is by saying if it's going into or out of town (meaning Boston). This can be a problem as it means the same train will go into and out of town on the same trip. Know the maps, and the Hynes is on the green line.
5. Remember, the last subway trains are usually around 12:30 (I'm not exactly sure of this but it's between midnight and 12:30). Also, this is not a 24-hour town. Most of the city shuts down at 7pm. The area the Hynes is in may have stuff open until 2am, but in most cases nothing is open past 2am.
6. It's expensive here. Yes, you can get deals on food at the supermarket (there is one connected to the mall via the walkway), but resturants can be expensive. Plan a budget and stick with it.
7. I say this due to something that happened at another convention in the area. The rules for weapons here are considered by many from out of state to be draconion. Also, if your costume is showing any naughty parts (I don't think this a problem at a gaming con but I've been to other cons where it would be), don't wear it. If you are stopped by the police on your way to the convention, please stop and answer their questions, less you spend the convention in jail rather than at the convention.
8. If you would like to attend a smaller convention to get a feel for how conventions may work, there are 4 leading up to PAX in the Boston/Cambridge area. The major gaming convention in this area is in Mansfield, also taking place before PAX. There's also a smaller gaming con that runs in Worcester before PAX.
9. That brings up the final post. Traffic is legendary here. If I'm going to that major gaming con, I have to leave 4 hours ahead of time to get there for 1:30 (never mind that the convention is only 30 minutes outside of Boston). If you're driving, better to play it safe to leave and arrive early than not take the traffic into consideration and get to the con late. Note that not all traffic jams are as long as 4 hours but some have lasted longer.

I've been on con 101 panels as I've heard many a horror story about people that did something they shouldn't of or spent too much money and couldn't get home. Plan things out before you get to the convention and stick to that plan and you'll have more fun than you would otherwise.

Could you give some more information on the gaming conventions that will be happening in the boston area before PAX East ive never been to one and would like to see what its all like before PAX .

I second the Melting Pot mostly because it is a lot of fun and the drinks are good desert drinks but pricey doesn't quite describe it. For two my boyfriend and I spent over $120, $92 for food alone, so just be prepared for a big bill unless you want to go for just desert and drinks or something. The food isn't quite worth the price but we found it worth it for the experience and it was a nice date place.

I'm not so sure you're going to get a good idea for PAX from other gaming conventions. Except maybe you'll get a feel for the exhibition hall.

The other conventions are not as big as Pax, as Goose said. Even ABs gaming sections won't match what I think Pax is going to do. The other conventions, though, do have tournaments, and one of them holds the regional tournaments for the WBA (and this year they are hosting a qualifier for the national Catan championship).
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to attend a convention where you need a telescope to see across the room
Looking forward to it.

I echo the suggestion to hit the Museum of Fine Arts! I managed to spend at least four hours there a few months ago and only covered the Asian/Egyptian wings. Must Go Back, and soon. Any locals want to come with me? (seriously, I'm looking for people to hang out with.)

I'd go to the MFA or whatever. I'm only here through October, but that's a month. I'm serious too. I don't know too many people here, since I've only been here a few months.

Sweet!! A few others have mentioned an interest in hitting the MFA, so it seems to me that it should so happen, and soon! Perhaps one of the upcoming Wednesdays... The only time I'm not free is the weekend of Oct. 10th, from Fri to Mon. Other than that, I'm at your disposal.

We can move this elsewhere, to avoid clutter. I've created an Event listing on Facebook, with some arbitrarily-picked times and the only date that fits all three currently-known schedules.

I'm not so sure you're going to get a good idea for PAX from other gaming conventions. Except maybe you'll get a feel for the exhibition hall.

The other conventions are not as big as Pax, as Goose said. Even ABs gaming sections won't match what I think Pax is going to do. The other conventions, though, do have tournaments, and one of them holds the regional tournaments for the WBA (and this year they are hosting a qualifier for the national Catan championship).
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to attend a convention where you need a telescope to see across the room
Looking forward to it.

Ho ho, ye of little faith. You have no idea what we have planned for AB this year.

So for you western folk and folks not used to the weather up here, this is the best I could do in terms of things to bring to prepare for the worst.

Bring at least one heavy coat. Not a jacket. A coat. Something that you might take skiing would probably be sufficient.
Probably a pair of boots in case you don't want your feet to get wet in the snow/eventual slush snow becomes.
One or 2 pairs of thick socks, or extra pairs of socks if you want to wear 2 pairs.
A sweatshirt or sweater of some kind goes without saying, unless you want to walk around PAX in your coat all day. I plan on cruising the hall in a hoodie of some type, personally. Which brings to mind the question of whether or not they'll have a coat check at the place. Someone should look into that.

Other than that, bring an umbrella just in case (think that's in the supply list, though), your mother would probably to tell you to bring gloves, a scarf, and a wool hat. Even if you don't use any of it, worth having.

In addition to the coldweather gear Goose! recommends, bring some medium-weight clothes as well. Again, the primary consideration for New England weather is RIDICULOUSLY UNPREDICTABLE ...!

As a child and teenager, I remember several years where there was a significant enough snowstorm to cause schools to delay opening, or even close for the day (and sometimes the NEXT day), even AFTER my birthday each year.

My birthday, by the by, is April 28th.

Think about that.

...

OTOH, it has not been terribly unusual the past 6-8 years to have shirtsleeve-weather days (tempetature around 60-65 Fahrenheit) as early as February.

So, the weekend of PAX? Could be 60-degree days, coul be 30-degree days. We won't know until they happen. Thus, it's best to be at least minimally prepared for BOTH possibilities.

If you HAVE to err in clothing selection? Err on the side of "not winter enough"; it's not impossible to stay mostly inside, or in at-least-partially heated vehicles, even when crossing from one side of Boston to the other. So you might get chilly, for short stretches ... but that's better than sweating and overheating all the time while at the convention, yes?

If you HAVE to err in clothing selection? Err on the side of "not winter enough"; it's not impossible to stay mostly inside, or in at-least-partially heated vehicles, even when crossing from one side of Boston to the other. So you might get chilly, for short stretches ... but that's better than sweating and overheating all the time while at the convention, yes?

It's really easy to stay mostly inside. My first winter here I had a wind breaker and a sweatshirt under it for the winter and walked to class in that. The end of March is mostly chilly and rainy and the odds are if you're flying in you don't want to be sitting on the plane in a heavy coat or wasting the space in your luggage with since that's space you now have to pay for and will be less space for swag. I've been literally in the city (not some suburb 20 miles out or an hour north but in a Boston zip code) for 5 years and in those years you haven't needed your polar outing gear at the end of March. Sure, it may have snowed here once in April 10 years ago, but it hasn't in recent memory.

Mmm, k... well, looks like some shopping is in order this winter... I'm not even sure if the stores here are stocking coats and stuff yet... Christmas stuff, yes. Warm clothing? No idea.

Any idea if the convention center will be heated to a point where wearing a t-shirt without anything over it will be possible? Generally speaking, how warm do people/businesses/whatever keep their heaters? Ideally, I'd like to be able to stow whatever sweatshirt/jacket thing in my backpack during the con. I realize that if it happens to be really freaking cold outside where a winter coat is needed, this might not be practical... but one can hope D:

shugarae on September 2009

Omeganaut class of '08. Fuck Peggle. Omeganaut class of '17 West. Fuck Rainbow Road.
The Best in Terms of Pants on JCCC3

It will be heated and there will be many thousands of people so you will want to wear a tee shirt alone at PAX most likely. At NYCC this year, in Feb. in NY I was wearing a tee shirt and was still warm on Saturday. Businesses keep their places warm enough that customers can shop comfortably and their employees are comfortable. It won't be 80 but it will be warm enough to wear a long sleeve shirt and be fine indoors. I have a thick down jacket for freezing, windy days. I don't need this coat everyday, it definitely isn't out in March, and it comes off as soon as I go on the T or indoor. Once March comes you'll be able to check weather.com and whatnot for a forecast but I'd say pack a tee shirt for the floor, a sweatshirt or sweater for days you'll be outside and a light jacket that keeps wind out for over that. It gets really windy here. For spring/fall I have an Eddie Bauer coat that's waterproof with a hood and fleece lined, specifically the Original Windfoil.

The way I always deal with unpredictable weather or varying temperatures is layers. If you have multiple layers of clothing, you can keep adding or removing to get what's right for the moment. Usually a hoodie and jacket combo work well.

DaNerd on September 2009

Buy a small corporation and use it to manufacture love. Then give the love to her at a bulk discount

Yeah, Hynes usually has a pretty comfortable temperature. I'd say whatever heating plus the expected 30,000 people should keep the place warm enough for t-shirt weather. If they have some kind of coat check, which I'm not sure if they do, you should definitely just do what DaNerd said. I usually have a winter coat, a hoodie, and a t-shirt. I don't usually wear a hat or boots, but the hoodie helps with the head, and I definitely like to have gloves.
If there's no coat check, you probably won't want to carry around your winter coat everywhere, so I guess that's more of a personal call. You might have a few times when you're freezing without it.

Not for nothing but with 30K people in the convention center they may be turning the A/C on instead of the heat.

If you're staying in a hotel that is connected via a walkway than you shouldn't need heavy clothing (although the mall is not as warm as you may think) but if you have to go outside and are not driving, I'd bring the heavy clothes.
Alas, the weather here is unpredictable enough to where you can place bets on the tv weatherman's predictions. And, as I've said all along, it is known to snow in April, and usually more than a couple of inches.

Also worth taking into account is where you're walking. I need help from other people that are more familiar with that are to fill in the info on this but, an example:

I used to work across from State St. station. That section of Washington Ave. is a natural wind tunnel. If you're walking from Border's to the station you pass Pi Alley and that's where the wind reaches its peak speed.
I had to work during hurricanes and snowstorms and the wind easily hits 80mph in that area. Are there any such conditions around the Hynes? I would not think so as the buildings don't seem tall enough but you never know.

Just heard today that it's predicted the Northeast will be having its coldest winter in a decade this year. Winter does extend through March (at least these past 2 or so years it has). Considering last year was pretty cold already, this puts the icing on the cake (literally). Something to consider for those who will be outside (especially for such events like the MMT/Duck Tour/combo/just regular sightseeing).

Well, in all fairness, we did have a string of warm winters for a while. Only reasonable that NE would be due for a string of cold winters. Let's just hope we can avoid an ice storm, especially during conventions (for those of you in a hotel connected to the Pru, this won't effect you during the convention much, but for those of us commuting in, it makes life very, very, interesting, and also very dangerous.

As others have said weather in the Northeast can be widely varying (Boston averages for March 26th are high of 49 F, low of 34 F, but record temps of 79 F and 13 F). Speaking from living in Buffalo and taking the family to car shows, conventions, etc this time of year, involving both indoor and outdoor walking, the way to go will be non-bulky layers, and comfortable dry footwear.

I usually go with a Hanes white undershirt, then a t-shirt or thin long sleeve shirt, zip-up hooded sweatshirt or light jacket, jeans, and sneakers. I avoid winter boots because of the indoor convention floor walking, and how hot and sweaty my feet feel after hours of walking indoors. I also avoid thicker coats of any kind because I usually end up taking it off and having to carry it around, along with anything I've bought or acquired that day (along with my wife's coat or 1-3 of the kids' coats). With a hoodie or a zip sweatshirt I can open it up, or take it off and tie it around my waist.

If I bring a heavier coat it's probably only gonna be used to and from the airport, and left in the hotel for the bulk of my time at PAX. If the forecast is snow I might wear my goretex sneakers, otherwise I'm going with normal sneakers.

Staxeon on October 2009

Invisible nap is the best nap of all time!
No man should have that kind of power.(Twitter)

Although neither of the other teams have the same impact on the T system as the Red Sox (which will not have started playing at the time of the convention), it's still good to know if a game is going on as it does have some impact:

Bruins at home on the 27th vs. Calgary. Game starts at 1pm.

Celtics at home vs. Sacramento on the 26th @ 7:30 and the 28th @ 8pm.

These can tie up the orange and green lines as the Garden sits on North Station.

As I said, these tend not to tie up the T the way Sox games do, but it's still good to know as it can slow things down or make for a rather cramped train ride.

One useful tip that just occurred to me that hasn't been mentioned yet. If any of you PAXers end up wandering through Boston and then realize "crap I'm lost!" Never fear. Just look for the Prudential Center and head towards it. The great thing is that Hynes Convention Center is attached to it and it's one of the (if not the) most visible buildings in Boston. Looks like this: